A Crack In Time
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Time is unstable, pulling the Doctor & co. into a parallel world where a virus has killed most of the world's population. One of the survivors, however, doesn't belong there. Can they stop the virus and save Caitlin? Or will more people die?
1. Prologue

**A Crack in Time**

**Disclaimer:** The BBC owns the _Doctor Who_ bits and Tim Kring created _Heroes_ and its characters.

**Summary:** _Doctor Who/Heroes_ X-over – Set in series 5 of DW, post-season 4 Heroes – A crack in a bedroom wall has turned into a crack in time. As time unravels, the TARDIS is drawn to a past mistake that left a woman trapped in a horrible future. Of course, stopping a virus is nothing compared to readjusting to missing years… PeterxCaitlin, PeterxEmma.

**Prologue**

Adventures always started in a blue police box.

It was an odd sort of box, bigger on the inside, and out of time. It's bright blue paint was at war with its 1950s design and the oddity of a blue phone box parking on street corners, inside buildings, or in gardens made it stand out further.

The box had a name—the TARDIS. A wondrous machine capable of time and space travel. Time And Relative Dimension In Space.

The TARDIS was home to the Doctor—a 900+ year old alien known as a Time Lord—and his companion. His companions varied from time to time as did his own appearance. So far he had gone through eleven faces.

His most recent companions were a strange couple. Amy was Scottish, a ginger-haired lass he'd met as a girl, and one of his more out-spoken and stubborn companions. Along with her travelled a nurse, Rory, who happened to be her fiancé. Rory and Amy balanced each other out and brought an energy to the TARDIS that he'd missed while travelling alone.

It was his curse—he was doomed to wander the universe—always visiting and never belonging. He would never grow old—not at the same rate a human—and he would always end up alone. He was the last of his kind. His home planet burned in a war many centuries earlier.

He adopted Earth as a surrogate planet. Humans had always amused him. They were truly unique creatures. Among them he'd had several notable companions.

First and foremost was always Rose Tyler. Blond. Young. One of his dearest friends and favourite companions. The one woman he could recall loving a great deal for the first time in a long time. She was long gone—trapped in a parallel world.

There was Doctor Martha Jones. Quirky and brilliant. Smith and Jones. A pair to see. She decided to stop travelling after her family was endangered.

Donna Noble. The Doctor-Donna. Witty and easy to get along with. She'd been a temp when they first met. Together they saved the world.

There was also Captain Jack Harkness who was busy with his own team on Earth. Jack never met a gender or species he didn't like. He also had a secret—he couldn't die.

A more recent companion was the enigmatic River Song. A professor and a doctor. When they first met, she'd sacrificed her life. She also revealed that their fates were intertwined. Her past was his future. He knew next to nothing about her, except he would see her again.

"Doctor? Heellooo, anyone home?"

With a start the Eleventh Doctor looked up. "Oh, sorry, must've dozed off. Where were we then?"

"I wanted to see a planet, but Rory here…" Amy rammed her elbow into his rib cage for clarification, "wants to see America."

"You picked last time, Pond."

"Yeah and the statutes came to life and then we got attacked by space fish! That's not exactly what I meant by 'planet'!"

"Enough. Rory, when do you want to go?"

"When?" he stuttered.

"When in history…the whole history of the world…do you want to go?" the Doctor asked.

"Surprise me… somewhere in the past."

"Surprise it is."

The Doctor hopped up to the controls, his bow-tie slightly askew. He had the appearance of an excited child as he grinned, pulling levers and twisting knobs. His method of flying the TARDIS was always interesting, especially with the noises and gizmos.

Amy and Rory each grabbed hold of the railing as the engines kicked in.

* * *

><p><em>New York City – 2007<em>

Quarantine kept the once-lively streets clear. The army patrolled in tanks wearing Hazmat-level suits and looking for stray or infected people. Their job was to protect the people who remained.

93% of the world's population was dead and trapped in a wasteland. Some cities were completely deserted—the entire group of citizens dead—while other metropolitan centers continued to have larger numbers.

Either way, the world was far from normal. People stayed inside. No one left their home country for travel. Deportation was common. Decontamination even more common. And sometimes, an outbreak was contained by securing an area and leaving people to die.

Into the midst of chaos, one unlucky woman was deposited. Her lover was torn from her arms.

According to the people she met, the official ones at least, the man she knew was dead. The first wave of the virus killed him. Peter Petrelli died in Odessa, TX along with his brother and a family friend. If she met someone else, they were messing with her.

Not that anyone cared. What mattered to the paper-pushers was that Caitlin was Irish. She didn't belong here. Not anymore.

She was due to be deported to her birthplace, where she would most certainly die. Even if she lived, her family was already dead, and most likely her friends were gone as well. There was no life in Ireland. Not alone.

Caitlin had no choice. She was herded along like cattle for slaughter to a holding area. The next flight for Ireland would leave in eight hours.

She had eight hours to escape and find her travelling companion—her Peter. If not, she was as good as dead.

When the alarm bells went off, her eight hour window vanished. Someone was infected. The virus was in the holding area. They were all going to die.

**Author's Notes: **

A bit of DW background for newbies. I'm not AU-ing Season 2 or 3 of _Heroes…_all events thru Season 4 will happen, even though Caitlin's currently alive around Season 3. DW is post-Vampires of Venice in series 5 since series 6 is very recent and spoiler-ish…series 5 and the crack made more sense anyways. There will be a mixture of British and American spellings, so I apologise for any confusion to come. Enjoy! Please, feel free to ask questions!


	2. Chapter One

**A Crack in Time**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to either _Doctor Who_ or _Heroes_.

**Chapter One**

_New York City – Quarantine - 2008_

"Please report to the main area immediately. All people and personnel please report to the main area. Leave your belongings. Report IMMEDIATELY—" the loudspeakers bellowed.

Caitlin wrapped her gray jacket around herself tightly, following the other deportees to the main holding area. Quarantine was a death sentence. Everyone knew that. Once a quarantine began, it was a lockdown. Everyone in the area would die of the virus sooner or later. No one survived. And no one left.

"Oi, what's this?" a redhead with a thick accent protested. She was wearing a scarf, mini denim skirt with leggings, and a colorful top. Her outfit was nothing like the other detainees.

"Quarantine," the Irish woman explained. "C'mon, if we don't keep moving, they'll shoot us."

"Shoot? Why?"

"The virus. Anyone who isn't complying can be shot on sight," Caitlin said. "Trust me, it's not pretty."

"They shoot people for being sick? Do you all not have vaccines?"

"Not for this virus. It's highly contagious."

The newcomer frowned. "That's just crazy."

"I know. What's your name?"

"I'm Amy."

"Hello, Amy. You from Scotland? Your accent…"

"Yeah, born there. You're from around there, aren't you? Not American…"

"I'm Irish. My… boyfriend was American. Name's Caitlin by the way."

"Pleasure to meet ya, Caitlin." Amy shook her hand, a shock for Caitlin since coming to this wasteland. Contact was frowned upon thanks to the disease.

"Wish it could've been under different circumstances."

Amy shrugged. "I've met people under worse. My friends and I have a bad habit of running into trouble."

"I know what that's like," Caitlin said with a knowing smile as they followed a stream of detainees. "My boyfriend seemed to draw trouble to 'im. Me brother found 'im chained up in a box down at the docks. He was an extraordinary man."

"Is he… dead?"

"According to them, he's been dead. But we were together when we got stuck 'ere. One minute we're in Montreal and the next… we're here, it's a year later, and most everyone's dead. I haven't seen 'im since."

"What's his name? Your boyfriend?" Amy asked, wondering if this girl's mystery boyfriend was someone like the Doctor—or possibly even the Doctor.

"Peter. His name's Peter. He's the best man I know."

"He sounds special."

"He is. They took him away from me. These people pulled as apart. We were just trying to find out who Peter was."

"What do you mean?"

Caitlin looked at her as they entered the main area. "When me brother found him, he didn't even know his own name."

"What colour hair does he have?"

"Dark…black I guess or really dark brown. A bit messy, but it's short."

Amy froze. "Tell me more."

"I—"

"ATTENTION!" shouted someone in an official uniform. "We are now under quarantine. Please remain calm."

Of course, all hell broke loose.

* * *

><p><em>New York City – Mercy Heights Hospital – 2010<em>

A flurry of activity erupted following Claire's leap. People with abilities started to come forward and announce themselves. His mother quickly took a leadership role and restarted the company with government backing. It wasn't really a bag-and-tag operation anymore—it was a support group of sorts.

The initial fear of specials dissipated over time.

Throughout it all, Peter Petrelli kept a low profile and continued to help people. He shunned the newfound fame. He just wanted to help. It was his version of atonement.

As the world learned about the events at Kirby Plaza, the formula, the carnival, and all the cover-ups—not to mention the virus—he found himself reliving the past and the lives lost in the process. The threads of time that vanished as they saved the world.

Sylar's son. Daphne and Matt's future. Isaac. Simone. His own brother. Lives shattered and ruined. People who died because of him. Because he trusted Adam. Because he trusted anyone. Caitlin.

Caitlin was by far his greatest mistake. He wanted to change her fate. He wanted to save her, but every attempt failed. He couldn't reach her anymore. Not even through time travel. Peter had a hard time picturing her face as the years wore on.

Plus, he had other people to think about. He had to help look out for Claire, who was an orphan of sorts now that both her birth parents were dead, and also having a hard time dealing with college and her girlfriend, Gretchen.

He also had Emma to worry about. What started as a friendship was growing into something more, even if it was more coming from her than him. He couldn't quite reciprocate her feelings when he still remembered Caitlin. Even if he couldn't get to her, he couldn't forget her.

Peter opened his locker, grabbing his bag and jacket. He'd worked for two days straight so far and really needed some time away from the hospital. Using his abilities had become draining. He needed to rest, recharge. Pulling himself away from those who needed help hurt, but nearly as much as hitting rock-bottom did. If he overused his power, he had the potential of passing out. As he wore out, it was like driving drunk.

With his bag and jacket, he took the subway home, trying to stay conscious. His skin was beaded with sweat from his work and the strain of his healing ability.

Lights flashed as the subway train raced through the tunnels underneath Manhattan. He listened to the noise of the train, of the people, of the chaos. He enjoyed the noise of city life most of the time, but there were many times that he missed the simple life he'd led in Cork, Ireland for several weeks.

Without Caitlin, life in Ireland wasn't something he wanted. He would just remember failing to save her. Holding her as her brother lay fried on the floor thanks to Elle Bishop. Losing her in a horrible future. All because she trusted him.

* * *

><p><em>New York City – Quarantine - 2008<em>

People started to die within a few minutes. It started slowly, one person, then another, before spreading. The main feeling in the room was of panic. They would all die eventually from the virus. Caitlin heard the stories before. Of the fever, the sickness, then death. It could take minutes or hours.

Amy paced at her side. "This is crazy. They can't do this."

"They have no choice. The virus can't be stopped. There's no cure. Only death."

The Scottish woman paled. "This can't be. There has to be a way out. I've got to find the Doctor."

"Oh, they'll be gone as well. Not many of them left anyways," Caitlin said. "That's why they tend to live in their suits—just in case of an outbreak."

"How can you be so calm?"

Caitlin sighed. "I used to scream and rant and rave. I tried that. But with Peter gone, I don't feel the urge to fight. If I die, I die. I can accept that. There's no going home."

"How? Don't you want to live?"

"Me brother was murdered. He was all I had. Peter became my family and he was taken from me. They say he's dead—has been dead. That I made him up."

Amy nodded. "As a kid, everyone thought I was telling stories about a man. He was called the Doctor, my Raggedy Doctor, and he came in a blue box and ate fish finger custard and told me all these wonderful stories."

"Is he real? Your doctor friend?"

"He's very real. He's a time-traveller. My husband and I travel with him. We've been to all kinds of points throughout history. Different planets and stars. I've floated through space. I've helped save the world. So many adventures."

"In a box?" Caitlin added, clearly skeptical. "You get in a box and travel?"

"It's a phone box, but it's much bigger on the inside. It's a whole world in there, almost."

Caitlin took a seat in a corner, gesturing for Amy to join her. "You mean you don't just disappear and appear in a new spot?"

"No, that'd be crazy."

"Then maybe I am crazy," she muttered to herself. "Blue lightening, sparks shooting out of his hand, ending up 'ere…"

"Is Peter a time-traveller?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he was special. He could do things I'd never even dreamed of. He saved me life and me brother's a few times. He protected me as best he could. But someone was hunting him. She killed me brother."

"I'm sorry," Amy said sincerely. "How long ago was this?"

"Days, I think. One minute we're in Montreal, the next… I'm being forced into decontamination and pulled away from Peter. They tell me he's dead—he's been dead since the first outbreak."

"Has he?"

Caitlin shook her head, her curls bouncing. "I don't know what to believe anymore. All I know is that I'm alone."

Amy took her hand. "Not alone. You've got me. We'll get through this. We'll find the Doctor, we'll get out of here, and we'll find Peter."

"I thought I recognized that voice! Did someone call for the Doctor?" a cheery male in an old-fashioned suit and bowtie said, appearing from the crowd.

**Author's Notes:**

Typo from the prologue… it's 2008 where Caitlin is. Please read and review… it helps motivate me to write faster. Anonymous reviews are accepted! Chapter two is already in progress. On my author's page there's a link to a video under "Unbreakable" that is for both that story and this one. It's on YouTube, same screenname as this, entitled 'PeterxCaitlin: Never Be the Same'. Check it out.


	3. Chapter Two

**A Crack in Time**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. _Doctor Who_ belongs to the BBC. _Heroes_ was created by Tim Kring.

**Chapter Two**

_New York City – Peter's Apartment - 2010_

Peter unlocked his door and let himself into the apartment. In the background, his police scanner squawked. It was a comforting sound, even if it urged him to hurry back to help others.

The small table was already set for two. Emma gave him a wide smile. "Dinner's almost ready."

He made the sign for "thank you" out of habit, and hung up his bag and jacket. He disappeared into the bedroom to change out of his uniform. When he returned, Emma had already brought dinner out to the table and was starting to eat.

He sat across from her, slowly filling his plate.

"You should eat. You look tired," she commented.

"I'm not hungry."

"Rough day?"

Peter sighed. "I guess. No one died, but I couldn't help but think of the people who have. All those people I failed in the past. Remember what Hiro said when he was dying?"

"You can't always change the past."

"I know that, but sometimes, little changes, little mistakes, they can be fixed. They need to be fixed."

"What are you going to do?" the blonde asked, staring at him intently, her eyes watching his lips. It was still strange, living with a lip-reader.

"I'm not sure. I just know that I have to do something. Make a difference."

"You are making a difference. Every day you make a difference. You're a good man, Peter. You can't fix everything or everyone," she said, sadly. He knew she was talking about her own past—about her nephew's death and the events at the carnival.

"It's not enough."

"It has to be. You're killing yourself."

"What I've done, what my family's done… nothing I do will be enough. That doesn't mean I'll ever stop trying."

Emma sighed. "Give yourself a break. You can't help anyone like this. You're drained."

"I just need a quick nap. I'm fine."

"Peter, just be careful."

"Always am."

* * *

><p><em>New York City – Quarantine – 2008 <em>

"It's about time!" Amy declared, throwing her arms around the newcomer.

"Oi, Pond, it's only been a few minutes!"

"Where's the TARDIS?" she demanded. "We need to get out of here."

"Settle down. Who's your friend?"

"Caitlin, and you're who?" the Irish woman said.

"Oh, sorry, I'm the Doctor."

"You're a doctor? You have a name?"

"It's the Doctor."

"Fine, if we're gonna talk like that, than I'm the Barmaid," Caitlin said, more than a little bit sarcastically.

"She's funny, your friend's funny," he said with a grin.

"Look, can you get us out of here?" Amy asked. "I don't like the idea of this virus."

"Oh, come on, Pond, it's an adventure! How often do you visit a parallel universe?" the Doctor said, still very enthusiastic.

"Too often," his companion said. "Can we go now?"

"Not yet. Caitlin, how did you come to be here?"

"Why does it matter?" she asked, looking between Amy and the strange man. "I'm here, aren't I? And I'm going to die here, just like everyone else."

"What do you know about this virus?" the Doctor asked.

"It kills. People get sick and then they die. Everyone. Anyone. It's in the air. There's not much that'll stop it. Only keeping us apart. Segregated."

"Until you die."

"Basically. Not that it matters. Everyone I know is dead."

"From this virus?"

"Before, me brother was murdered. Then I lost me boyfriend. He died in an outbreak. At least, that's what they said. They said I was confused."

"Are you?"

"I'm not from here. It's the future—at least a year in the future. I was with Peter, in the past, in Montreal, then we're here, in the middle of New York City, and most everyone's dead. We were taken in, forced apart, and they tell me he's dead—that he never existed."

The Doctor frowned. "You time-travelled?"

"I don't know. Peter's special…he does lots of things. I don't think even he knew how he did it or what happened. All I want to do is either give up and die or find him."

"What if I could help you… take you back to where you were before?"

Amy looked at him. "Can we even get to the TARDIS? With this quarantine in effect…"

"Relax, Pond, Rory's got that under control. Now, where are you from, Caitlin?"

"2007. Originally, I'm from Ireland. Peter and I traveled to Montreal because of a painting. He was trying to figure out who he was."

"2007? That's three years ago…" Amy breathed. "Doctor, can we even do that without changing everything?"

"We'll figure that out later. Caitlin, is Peter here? Where did you last see him?"

"He was in the main part of the building with me. But he vanished. He's listed among the dead."

"Okay. Let's get going!" The Doctor sprung into action. "Come along, Pond and friend!"

Amy shrugged. "Better do as he says."

The Irish woman glanced around the cramped room, surveying the bodies and the panic. She didn't really have any reason to stay. At least these people were doing something with the time they had left. There wasn't a future in this room.

Without looking back, Caitlin followed the two time-travellers.

* * *

><p><em>New York City – Mercy Heights Hospital – 2010<em>

Peter stood near the ambulance bay, finishing up paperwork, when the gurney rolled in. He didn't pay much attention at the time. His ears picked up on the thread out of habit.

"Female, early 20s, complained of a fever before collapsing. Her friends said something about a virus…"

He felt his heartbeat slow.

"Probably just the flu," a nurse said.

"Probably. She just happened to hit her head when she collapsed… needs stitches."

Peter took a deep breath and signed his last paper. He turned in time to see the girl wheeled away. The flash of red hair reminded him of Caitlin.

As his pager went off, he picked up his medical bag, smiled at a nurse, and headed out to the ambulance.

* * *

><p><em>New York City – Quarantine – 2008<em>

Caitlin joined the two strangers at a door. On the other side was a person in a biohazard suit. The girl, Amy, rapped on the glass window.

Much to her surprise, the door unlocked. The three slipped out quickly, the Doctor pulling the door shut behind them. "Good to see you, Rory."

The hazmat hood dropped, revealing a man. Amy gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Where's the TARDIS?" Amy asked.

"Round the corner. No one's bothered it. But shouldn't we let those people out?"

The Doctor looked down as he spoke. "As much as I want to, I think it's for the best. If this virus is as deadly as she says, it must be contained. Perhaps if we find a cure…"

"There's no cure," Caitlin said softly. "It's a death sentence."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's find your Peter. You said 2007, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay. To the TARDIS!"

* * *

><p><em>New York City – Mercy Heights Hospital – 2010<em>

In the locker room, Peter changed from his white polo to a dark blue one for the night shift. He was weary from the long day, but he hadn't saved many lives today. Not enough.

He slammed his locker shut.

The loudspeaker kicked in, announcing an emergency code. Not just any code—a lockdown code. For infectious diseases. As in biohazard teams, the CDC, and all kinds of quarantine protocols.

"It wasn't the flu, was it?" he muttered.

Something in his gut told him this wasn't a biological or chemical attack unless Adam Monroe had returned from beyond the grave with the virus. A virus that Peter personally destroyed. Or had he?

Could it be another strain? Or was it a normal virus like Swine Flu or the plague? Anything except the only disease that gave him nightmares.

He had to know. He had to find out.

As panic began to grip those in the hospital, he travelled from floor to floor, searching for the girl he'd seen earlier. She'd been admitted for sure and he would bet his life that she was patient zero. She had something to do with the code.

The simple acting of calling 9-1-1 had doomed several hundred people in the hospital alone, not to mention anyone they had contact with in the hours prior to the code. If this was the Shanti virus, thousands of people would die. Millions of people over months. The entire world.

But how?

**Author's Notes:**

Is it the virus? Who has it? Thoughts? Or is Peter just overreacting? Thanks for reading. More to come!


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